God’s own language: architectural drawing in the twelfth century
By Karl Kinsella
MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262047746
An examination of 12th century architecture through the writings and drawings of Richard of St. Victor. These drawings appear in a biblical tract depicting a temple, and may be the earliest architectural representations we possess.
Abstract:
In the middle of the twelfth century, Hugh’s protégé Richard of St. Victor (d. 1173) wrote a Bible commentary – known under the Latin title In Visionem Ezechielis (On Ezekiel’s Vision) – which looks at the series of buildings described by the prophet Ezekiel in a vision of a temple that the Israelites were to build according to prophecy. The title is modern but accurately reflects the content, stressing the importance of seeing what the prophet saw and also the importance for the reader to see the drawings in the commentary. So it is a vision in two senses, one belonging to the prophet and a second intended for the contemporary reader who has visions of Ezekiel’s experience. There are over a dozen plans and views to help readers visualize the buildings Ezekiel saw, making Richard’s interpretation of the biblical past clear for all to see.
Who is this book for?
This is a very useful book for anyone interested in the history of architecture. In fact, the book can be said to “radically extend the origins of modern architectural representation by nearly four centuries.” It is also useful for studying medieval religious thought in the 12th century.
The author
Karl Kinsella is a lecturer in art history at the University of Aberdeen, where he specialises in architecture and manuscripts. See also his article The subtle art of elevation on Aeon.
You can find out more about this book in the Publisher’s website.
You can buy this book at Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com
